Mobile Alerts services ending Feb. 1

Communications system didn't draw widespread commercial or organizational support from local marketplace

The Mobile Alerts service operated by the News-Register for several years will end effective Feb. 1, according to N-R Digital Media director Dan Shryock.

The system has provided breaking news, weather, school closure, commercial ads and other messages to users who registered for text and/or email messaging.

“Hundreds of local people have received these messages via phone text and email,” said Shryock, "but the marketplace hasn’t embraced this technology. We’ve had limited success in offering the system to other businesses and organizations for communication to members and customers, but we no longer can carry the ongoing costs from our outside vendor.”

The News-Register, which converted the local news portion of its website to subscription-access, will be considering possibilities for alternative systems of targeted email and mobile communications in the future, Shryock said.